Heaven's Lights and Hellfire
by x-menoriginsfreak34
Summary: Ten years ago, Katherine Thorn gave birth to a baby girl. They named her Arella, meaning messenger from God, or angel. Can she save her parents from Damien, or will she fail, letting Damien slip into the wrong hands?
1. Prelude To Tragedy

**So I decided to change this up a whole lot. I recently watched the movie Legion and got a very good idea. Please tell me what you think. **

**Here's the new summary:**

**Ten years ago, Katherine Thorn gave birth to a baby girl. They named her Arella, meaning messenger from God, or angel. Can she save her parents from Damien, or will she fail, letting Damien slip into the wrong hands?**

All Arella Thorn wanted was someone to tell her "I love you just the way you are." Her life turns upside down when she winds up in a small diner, meeting a guy named Ryan who she immediately takes a liking to. She returns regularly to the diner to escape the life of an Ambassador's daughter. But what will happen when she lets Damien slip under her skin, leaving Warren in the dust. Gabriel is given orders to kill the child that was never supposed to be born. Will the Archangel Michael be able to save her, or will Gabriel get to her first?

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Robert Thorn rushed into the hospital, nervous to hear the news of his second child. He found the hospital's Catholic priest, Father Spiletto, standing with their 10 year old daughter, Arella.<p>

"Mr. Thorn," Father Spiletto said. Arella hugged her father around the waist.

"Is she alright?"

"She's resting."

"And the child?"

Father Spiletto gave him a sad look before saying: "The child is dead." Robert stepped back in shock. "She does not know."

"It was everything to her, that child."

"Mr. Thorn, your wife. There was damage to the womb. She may not be able to…"

"She may not be able to what?"

Father Spiletto gave him a look that said what Robert wished not to hear.

Robert backed up to the wall, overwhelmed with shock and sadness.

"You love her very much, you must accept God's plan."

Father Spiletto took Robert and his daughter to the nursery.

"He's quite beautiful and I knew the mother well. Healthy in every way," Father Spiletto said, staring at a nurse who held a baby boy behind the glass.

"And the family?" Robert asked, holding Arella's hand.

"No family. The mother died, as your own child did in the same hour."

"And our own child, may I see...the body?"

"What's there to be gained? Give your love to the living. For the sake of your wife, Mr. Thorn. God will forgive this little deception. And for the sake of this child. On this night, Mr. Thorn, God has given you a son." Father Spiletto gave the baby boy to Robert to take to his wife.

Robert carried the baby back to his wife's room, Arella walking behind him, keeping a steady glare on the child. She sensed something was wrong with him; some evil came from the baby boy now in her father's arms.

She opened the door to her mother's room, letting her father and the baby in. She closed the door and stood in front of it. Her mother woke up soon after. She glared at the baby as her mother took him in her arms. Her father sat down, leaning over the pair on the bed.

"Where is she?" Her mother asked. Robert turned around.

"Come here," he said, waving his fingers at her. She shook her head, choosing to remain as stiff as a pole by the door. "Come here," he repeated, a strict tone now lacing his voice.

"Hey, give her time. This is new to her." Katherine placed a hand on her husband's arm, calming him.

_

Over the years, Arella did not change. She still avoided Damien as much as she could, until the night before Damien's 5th birthday.

She was now 15 and had not spent much time with her brother, not even with their move to London. They had moved into a large house with three stories that looked like a castle on the inside.

She was lying in her bed in her room, trying to fall asleep.

Her door opened, revealing her father.

"Hey, princess," he said sitting on the edge of her bed.

She smiled at him. "Hi, daddy."

"I love you," he said, stroking her cheek.

"I love you, too." She smiled, leaning into his hand.

"Try and act like you care about your brother tomorrow, for the sake of your mother."

"I will try." He brushed her blonde hair out of her face before kissing her forehead.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." He got up and turned off her light.

"Goodnight, daddy." She said before turning over.

She fell asleep quickly, falling into dreamland.

_*Dream*_

_Arella was standing in a white room, dressed in a floor-length white dress._ _She_ _turned around and looked in the mirror behind her. Her blonde hair was pulled_ _up_ _in a bun, a few pieces falling around her face. Two white wings sprouted out_ _of_ _her shoulders and ended just below her knees._

_A voice came from behind her. "Hello, Arella." _

_The girl turned around and stared at the young man walking towards her. He had_ _blonde_ _hair and bright blue eyes. He too had wings sprouting from his back. He was_ _wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and he was shirtless, showing his chiseled_  
><em>chest. He had no shoes on, then again, neither did she.<em>

_"Who-who are you?"_

_"My name is Warren. I am your guardian angel. I'm here to protect you." I_ _stared at him like he had two heads. He chuckled. "And I'm also your tutor."_

_"Tutor for what?"_

_"How to be a guardian angel, of course."_

_"How? What? Why?" A million questions were running through her mind._

_"Here, let me show you." We turned around and, suddenly, we were in a_ _hospital._

_"Push, Mrs. Thorn. One more push." Arella could hear a baby crying behind all_ _the_ _noise._

_"There she is," a nurse said. "We're going to take her to make sure she's_ _all healthy and to clean her up, Mrs. Thorn. It will just take a moment." The_ _nurse got up with the baby, and took her to another room._

_We followed, no one noticing our presence. We came to a room, finding_ _two doctors and a bunch of nurses all leaning over a table. Some of the_ _nurses_ _were crying. Arella noticed that the heart monitor had flat-lined. A priest,_ _who she_  
><em>realized was Father Spiletto, came in and took the baby.<em>

_She looked up at Warren and he moved us to the nursery where Father Spiletto_ _and_ _her dad were._

_"On this night, Mr. Thorn, God has given you a daughter."_

_Arella put her hand over her mouth, remembering another time when she had_ _heard those words. Five years ago, he had said the same thing about Damien._ _Father Spiletto took the baby girl from the nurse_ _and handed her to Arella's dad._

_Warren took us back to the white room._

_"He told me it was the right time to tell you."_

_"Where did I come from?" Arella asked, her voice breaking._

_"Heaven. Where all babies come from. Except your brother."_

_"Damien? Where did he come from?"_

_"Damien is the son of Satan. He's the Antichrist."_

_"What?"_

_"His mother was a jackal. His father, Satan."_

_"But where-how-"_

_"I'm sorry, but that's all I can tell you for now. I will see you soon." He_ _gently put a hand on her cheek. "I will see you again."_

_Everything went white._


	2. Close Yet Far

I woke up with the sun shining in my eyes. I could still feel the tingle Warren's hand left on my face. I sat up and pulled my knees to my chest, resting my elbows on my knees with my head in my hands.

"Arella?" I heard from my doorway. Damien was standing there, dressed in a red shirt and khaki pants.

"Yes?" I asked tilting my head.

"Are you okay?" he asked, tilting his head back.

"I'm fine." I stood. "I just have a little headache. That's all. Happy Birthday, little guy." I smiled and patted his head as I walked passed him.

As I walked away, I could feel his eyes burning holes in my back. I went down two flights of stairs and into the kitchen.

"Hello honey," my mom said as I entered. She was sitting at the island across from a blonde haired man.

He turned around and smiled at me.

"Warren? What are you doing here?"

"You know him?" my mom asked me.

"Yes, he's a friend."

"Honey?" I heard my dad call from the foyer of the house.

"What?" She yelled walking out of the kitchen after shooting Warren and I a smile.

"You never answered me. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to protect you today. There's something evil about this place, I can feel it." He turned to look at the door to the kitchen.

"Damien?" I asked the boy standing in the doorway. He had his eyes glued to Warren.

"Damien, this is Warren, a friend of mine." He looked from me to Warren, then back to me. He turned and left, shooting Warren one last look.

"So that's the Antichrist," Warren said.

"Yes, he does that a lot."

"Does what?"

"Stands there and stares at you. It's creepy. He did that to me this morning when I was walking down the hall."

"He knows who I am and has suspicions about you. You need to be careful. He may only be five, but he's still dangerous. He could hurt you and your parents."

"But that's why I have you."

"He can't hurt you with me around. Something bad is going to happen today. And you need to get dressed for the party."

"Right," I said, snapping my fingers. I ran up the stairs, leaving Warren in the kitchen.

I jogged up to my room and closed the door, grabbing my purple knee-length dress off of my dresser. I changed quickly, slipped on my silver heels, put a little makeup on and then went down stairs.

Warren was standing at the bottom of the stairs when I came down.

"Wow. You look like a princess," he said, taking my hand.

We walked outside to find dozens of balloons, some carnival rides and plenty of snacks everywhere.

"My, my, don't you look fabulous," my dad said, embracing me and kissing the top of my head.

_

People started arriving and the place filled up with adults and children quickly. Soon enough, it was time for Damien to blow out his candles.

I stood with Warren beside my mom as dad held Damien so he could reach his cake.

"Three. Two. One." Mom and Dad counted down before Damien blew out all five candles with one breath. Everyone cheered and we all smiled as the paparazzi took photos.

Damien ran off, nanny in tow. Warren and I talked to some of the adults.

I felt a weird cold feeling come over me. I shivered as tingles ran down my spine.

"You alright?" Warren whispered in my ear.

"I don't know," I whispered back.

"What do you feel?"

"Cold."

Warren looked behind me. I turned and looked too. There was a dog sitting on the path on the other side of the garden.

I felt the tingle again and I buried my face in Warren's chest. He ran a warm hand down my back and I immediately felt better.

"Damien!" Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the house. "Damien! Look at me Damien!" I saw the nanny standing on the roof, a noose around her neck. "This is all for you, Damien! It's all for you!" She yelled before she jumped, hanging herself.

Everyone started running and screaming. I buried my face in Warren's chest. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, saying a quiet prayer to himself.

_

I couldn't sleep at all that night. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't do it. I finally gave in and got out of bed and went down to the kitchen.

When I got there, I saw Damien reaching for the milk in the refrigerator. I switched on the light above the stove, letting a little light illuminate the kitchen. Damien stopped and stared at me.

"Can't sleep?" I asked him as I grabbed the milk and a glass. He shook his head.

"Me neither." We sat at the small table in the kitchen.

I watched him as he drank his milk and stared at the wall. He was way too cute to be evil. He turned and looked at me, his blue eyes boring into my green ones.

"Are you ready to go to bed?" I asked, cocking my head at him. He nodded.

I put the glasses in the sink before picking Damien up and carrying him to his room. I put him in his bed and tucked him in. He grabbed my hand when I went to leave his room.

"Don't leave me," he whispered.

"Okay," I murmured, before climbing in bed with him.

He curled into my arms. I could feel his warm breath against my chest.

"Don't get too attached," Warren's warning echoed in my head. I wrapped my arms around his small body before falling asleep.

* * *

><p>I woke up at seven the next morning. I had slept like a log after I had climbed into Damien's bed. I looked up and saw Warren standing over us. He had his shirt off again and his wings were back.<p>

"Did you get my message last night?"

"Yeah. It's just, he asked me to stay and he was scared from yesterday and so was I." I gulped, feeling nervous under his gaze.

"Come on. Your mother is getting ready to interview Nanny's. She wants you downstairs." He held out his hand. I grabbed it, letting him lead me to my room.

"I'll be watching you downstairs," he said before leaving my room.

I sat down on my bed, resting my head in my hands. This was going to be a long day.


	3. Beyond Redemption

I walked down the stairs to the living room where I found my mom and Warren. Warren put a finger up to his lips.

_She can't see me. _I heard him say in my mind. I nodded at him before walking closer to my mom.

She had a pile of résumés in her lap. She looked up when I came closer.

"Hi honey." She said looking back down at the pile of folders.

"Mom?"

"Yes?" She asked looking at me.

"I was wondering if I could go and check out the town not far from here." I tried my best to put on my innocent face.

_What are you doing? _Warren sounded angry.

My mom looked at me for a couple uncomfortable minutes before she sighed. "I suppose you could. Just, be careful."

I smiled. "Thank you, mommy." I hugged her before running up the stairs to grab my shoes and coat.

Warren was sitting on my bed when I got out there. He was angry and frustrated.

"What do you think you're doing?" Warren got up.

"I'm going out to try and meet some people so I won't be cooped up here all the time." I grabbed my coat after slipping on my converse.

"You go out there and I won't be able to protect you."

"Listen here." I backed him against the wall. "I don't need your protecting. I don't need anyone's protecting. I'm doing just fine by myself." I glared at him before going down the stairs.

"Arella!" He shouted at me as I walked down the stairs. "Arella, don't you go out that door." I stopped with my hand on the door handle.

"Last time I checked, you weren't my father." I walked out the door, slamming it to add dramatic effect.

I decided to walk the few miles to the town. It gave me time to clear my head and think about what was ahead of me.

The four miles when quickly and before I knew it I was at a small restaurant.

I walked in. There was a couple old men sitting at a booth playing a game of chess and a man that looked to be in his 40's sitting at the bar. I sat in a stool and rested my head in my hands.

"Welcome to Shenaniganz. What can I get for ya?" I looked up at the young man and my breath caught in my throat.

He had short spiky light brown hair, tan skin and sweet honey brown eyes. I could see the faint trace of stubble along his chin and jaw. He was wearing a blue and black bowling shirt with the restaurant name on the front. To put it simply- he is hot!

"Uh, just water." I stared into his eyes.

He smirked. "That it?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

He nodded and looked at me one more time before grabbing a glass and pouring some ice water into it. He grabbed a straw and set the glass in front of me.

"I recognize you." He said leaning against the bar counter. "Your that American Ambassador's daughter." The guy at the other end of the bar looked towards me before looking back down at his drink.

I sighed heavily. "Yeah. That's me." I rested my head in my hand before taking a drink of my water.

"Not so great of life is it." He leaned forward on his elbows.

"It's not. Sometimes I wish I could just be normal." He laughed.

"Being normal ain't so great either. Take me for instance. Working a dead end job as a waiter. Living in a rundown house with my friend Dean. Going nowhere in this world. Unlike you on the other hand. Beautiful, rich parents, probably never had to lift a finger to get anything in your life. You could do anything, be anything. While me, I'm probably going to be working here for the rest of my life."

"I'm Arella, by the way."

"Ryan." I shook his hand. When our skin touched, I felt something almost like electricity running over my skin. I gasped quietly.

Ryan and I talked for hours about each other.

"I should probably be heading home. My parents are probably worried sick about me." I said, eyeing the darkening sky outside.

"Do you want me to drive you home? I get off in like 5 minutes anyways."

"Nah. I'll be fine. I need the fresh air anyways. But thanks for the offer." I smiled at him before walking out the door.

**RYAN'S POV **

I watched as the beautiful blonde left the restaurant. I had learned that she was American like me. Extremely mature for 15.

"Need anything else?" I asked the man in front of me. He had been sitting in the same spot for the whole day. He shook his head before paying and leaving.

The manager, Mr. Rodgers came out from the kitchen.

"Why don't you leave early tonight, Ryan. I'll have Dan lock up."

"Thank you, Mr. Rodgers." I said before exiting the restaurant.

I fished the my truck keys out of my pocket. Before I had them in the lock, I heard a scream for help coming from behind the restaurant. I ran back there, only to be greeted with a heart stopping sight.

**ARELLA'S POV**

I had only made it a few feet away from the restaurant before I was grabbed and dragged behind it.

The person holding me smelled strongly of alcohol and weed. I almost gagged at the smell. The man shoved me against the wall of the restaurant. I screamed for help, hoping someone (Ryan) would hear me. A dirty hand clamped itself over my mouth and I felt cold metal being pressed against my neck.

"Listen girly." The drunk who I recognized as the man sitting at the bar in the restaurant growled. "You're gonna take me back home with ya and your gonna show me that daddy of yours. Got it?" He squeezed the hand over my mouth until I whimpered and nodded.

"Let her go." The drunk and I turned to the left. I sighed in relief when I saw Ryan.

The drunk cackled before shoving me at Ryan. He caught me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "You can have her. But I'm warning you girly. I will see you again." I clutched onto Ryan's shirt which had been unbuttoned, revealing a white wife-beater underneath.

"Come on. I'll take you to my place and you can call your parents." I nodded into his chest.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, leading me to his truck. He helped me in before starting it and driving down the road. I pulled my coat closer to me as we headed into a residence part of the town.

He pulled into the driveway of a faded yellow house. The paint was peeling in some places, showing the rotting wood underneath.

"It looks better on the inside." He smiled at me before wrapping a comforting arm around my shoulders. I leaned into his embrace, enjoying the feel of having someone so close.

He put the key in the lock and opened the door. There was a scrawny man with black hair sitting on the couch watching something on TV. He glanced up at us before looking back at the TV, then he looked at me. He squinted his eyes at me and I gripped Ryan's arm and slid behind him.

"Hey. Take it easy, Dean. She's scared. She had a run in with Johnson. She's just here to use the phone."

Dean's glance immediately softened. "I was thinking you had brought her home to…you know." He jerked his head towards the hallway.

"Dean!" He shouted. "The phones in there." He pointed to the kitchen. I nodded a thanks to him before going in there.

I grabbed the phone and dialed in my mom's cell phone number. It rang four times before it went to her voicemail. I dialed my dad's cell phone number, praying for him to answer.

_Hello? _I heard Damien on the other end.

"Damien? Hi. Is daddy there?"

_Yes. You're in big trouble missy. _I smiled.

"Can you give the phone to him please?"

_Ok. _I heard ruffling on the other end before the stern voice of my father came through the other end. _Arella?_

"Hi, daddy."

_Do you have any idea how worried we are? Where are you? Are you alright?_

"I'm at a friend's house. I need you to come and get me. And I'm fine."

_I can't do that, sweetie. I'm sorry._

"W-why not?" I gulped back tears.

_I can't leave the house. The press are all outside. I won't be able to come and get you until tomorrow. Do you know how bad it would be if I came and got you? The press are already all over this and I don't need anything else to spur up rumors. I'm sorry but you'll have to stay where you are until tomorrow when I can come and get you after work. _

"Why not tomorrow morning?"

_I've got a meeting and your mom's going on a field trip to the zoo with Damien's class. _

"Ok." I said. Ryan came over to me and gently rubbed my back. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I said trying to suppress the lump in my throat.

_Ok. I love you. _

I hung up without answering back. I put the phone back on the wall. I sniffed and tried to hide my tears from Ryan, but he only turned me around by my shoulders. He wiped the stray tear running down my cheek with this thumb.

"Hey." He pulled me into a hug, resting his chin on top of my head. "I know parents aren't fair. You should just be glad you have them."

"What do you mean?" I asked pulling away from him and staring into his eyes.

"I'll tell you later. You're probably tired. You can sleep in my room." He lead me down the hall to his room.

There were clothes scattered everywhere. He had a queen sized bed in the middle of the room, a desk and dresser against one wall and a closet on the other side of the room. He went over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before handing them to me.

"The bathroom's down the hall. Last door to your left."

I went into the small bathroom and changed. The sweatpants were big on me, but they were warm and comfy. I pulled the t-shirt over my head. It almost reached my knees. I pulled my hair out of the pony tail, letting it cascade down past my shoulders. I ran my hand through it a couple times trying to get the tangles out. I grabbed my clothes and left the bathroom.

I entered the bedroom to find Ryan, shirtless, wearing a pair of sweatpants that looked a lot like the ones he gave me. I stared at his toned chest, feeling completely In awe of him. He was even more toned than Warren.

"Like what you see, babe?" He arched an eyebrow at me. I nodded before trailing my eyes up to his. "The bed is yours. I'll sleep on the couch."

I climbed on the bed and Ryan tucked me in. He leaned down and kissed my forehead before getting up. I grabbed his hand when he turned to leave.

"Don't leave me." I whispered. He nodded before climbing in bed with me.

I curled into his chest, feeling warm as he wrapped his arms around me. He kissed the top of my head before shutting off the lamp, leaving us in complete darkness. For once in my life, I felt safe and at home.


	4. Welcome Home

I had the weirdest dream that night. If you could even call it a dream. It had felt like I was floating in the air, warmth all around me.

_Don't let him get under your skin. Don't let him take over. _I heard a voice in my head.

I woke up after that feeling Ryan's warm breath on the side of my face. I had rolled onto my back sometime during the night and Ryan had thrown an arm over my stomach. I sighed contently closing my eyes, letting his steady breath fan over my face. He groaned in his sleep and shifted, moving closer to me, nuzzling his nose into my cheek. I held back a giggle. He sighed contently.

I looked at the window, a few rays of morning sun streaming through the thin curtains. I closed my eyes, trying to go back to sleep, but failed. I laid there with my eyes closed, welcoming the warmth from Ryan.

It wasn't long before I heard his breathing quicken and the pressure from the arm around my stomach lightened. I felt his eyes on my face as they opened. I felt his nose run up my cheek and his lips connected to my cheek. I couldn't help the slight blush that covered my cheeks. He chuckled, his chest vibrating the arm that was against it.

"I know you're awake." He whispered, his voice husky from sleep.

I opened my eyes and stared into his honey brown eyes. Our faces unconsciously moved closer. Our lips were centimeters apart when there was a harsh knocking on the bedroom door.

"Ryan! Work!" Dean shouted.

"Damn." Ryan mumbled, pulling away and getting out of bed. I laid there, momentarily, still frozen from our close encounter. "Since your dad isn't going to be here until tonight," Ryan said, pulling on a white wife beater and his work shirt "why don't you come to work with me. I want you to meet Charlie and Jeep." He tossed my clothes from yesterday at me. "You'll like Charlie. She's a lot like you." I nodded before untangling myself from Ryan's sheets and going down the hallway to the bathroom.

Once I was changed and somewhat freshened up, I went with Ryan to the diner. When we walked through the door, I noticed a pretty blonde standing behind the counter wearing the same kind of shirt as Ryan, only hers was white and red. She smiled kindly at us.

"Arella, this is Charlie. Charlie this is Arella." He introduced us.

"Hi." I smiled at her.

"Hi." She smiled back.

"Where's Bob and Jeep?" Ryan asked.

"They're in the back somewhere." Charlie pointed behind her.

Ryan dragged me behind him, through the kitchen to a back room that looked like an office. There was a tall man with dark brown hair standing there arguing with another man in a camouflage baseball hat.

"Who's this?" The older man asked, looking at me.

"This is Arella. She's staying with me until her dad comes and gets her later today."

"You're that Ambassador's daughter." The one in the hat said.

"Yes. That would be me."

"I'm Jeep." He held his hand out to me. I shook it. "And that's Bob." He pointed behind him at the older man. I shook his hand too.

"She can stay, as long as she's out of the way." Bob said to Ryan.

"I promise. You'll hardly notice I'm here." I smiled at them before Ryan dragged me back out to the front of the restaurant.

There was now a couple sitting at a booth, a teenage girl sitting a couple booths down from them, and a black man standing behind the bar. I sat at the bar, close to where the black guy was standing. Ryan leaned over the bar on his elbows, our noses almost touching.

"Can I get you anything, little lady?" He asked, his warm breath fluttering over my face.

"Just water."

"Again?"

"What? Water's good for you." I smiled at him.

"One water coming up." He said grabbing a glass from under the bar.

Bob came in and pulled a chair under the TV, which I now had realized had turned to black and white static.

"I told you to get the satellite man." The black guy said. "But you didn't listen."

"What the hell would I need that crap for?" Bob asked.

"The History Channel man."

"I got all the history I can take."

"That's for sure." The lady sitting in the booth said.

"What's your beef now?" Bob yelled at her. "You don't need to be watching this anyway." He hit the TV twice. "Alright baby. This is going to be it right here."

He hit the TV a few times before an annoying ring filled the diner. On the screen was "THIS IS NOT A TEST." Everyone looked at the TV.

"It's one of them test things." Bob said.

"Yeah that don't look like a test." Charlie said.

"Excuse me, but if this were an actual emergency, wouldn't they be giving us instructions on what to do?"

"Percy why don't you check that old radio of yours. See if there's any news about the TV."

The black guy, Percy, turned and changed the channel on the radio. The same ring came through.

"Maybe there was an earthquake?" The man with the woman said coming over to the bar.

"A lot of people could be hurt." Percy said, pouring him more coffee.

"Not if it was centered in the desert." Bob said coming into the room.

"Hey. It could be nothing to be worried about."

"Then why is the TV out?" Ryan asked from behind me.

"Well maybe it was the terrorists." The teenage girl said.

"Oh God."

"For crying out loud. There's no use speculatin'. Look. I'll just go call my brother up in Needles. He'll probably know something."

"I don't think so." I turned and saw another black man. "I was just on the phone. The shit cut off right in the middle of my conversation. I want my money back."

"Oh this is perfect. Absolutely perfect!" The woman yelled. I immediately thought of my mother and how alike they are. Her husband tried to calm her down.

"Alright everybody simmer down!" Bob yelled. "There's nothing to get worked up about." He shut the TV off. "Jeep's gonna get your car fixed up real fast and you can be on your way."

The other black man, who I had learned to be Kyle, sat down by me. He pulled his phone out and tried to get a signal. The door opened and an elderly lady with a walker came in. Everyone turned and looked at her.

"Have a seat where ever you want, ma'am. Specials are on the board." Charlie said walking behind the bar to grab a menu.

The old lady sat down so she could look at all of us. "I already know what I want. I'll have a steak please. Rare if you would, and water with no ice."

"Coming right up." Charlie said, starting to walk away.

"Charlie, is it?"

"Yeah."

"What an unusual name for a girl."

"So they say. I'll be right back with your water."

"Hello!" The old woman shouted. "I'm Gladys. Gladys Foster."

"Oh hello, Gladys." The woman in the booth said. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Sandra and this is my husband Howard."

"What a nice looking young couple. What brings you up to these parts?"

"Oh, we were on our way to Scottsdale, but our car broke down and we're stuck here while it's getting fixed."

"What a nuisance."

"Hey, Gladys. The lines seem to be down around here and I was wondering if you had heard anything?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that, sweetheart. It will all be over soon." Just then Jeep walked in and went back to the kitchen. I got a sick feeling in my stomach. Charlie walked over to Gladys with her food.

"Oh, thank you dear." Charlie walked over to me.

"And what's your name?" Gladys asked me.

"Arella." I said.

"Arella Thorn?" She asked, cutting a piece of her steak.

"Yes ma'am." I said.

"Must be nice having a dad in politics. All that security. Must feel safe."

I resisted a snort. "You could say that." I took a sip of my water.

"To bad you're going to burn." I almost choked on my water. Everyone looked at her.

"Excuse me?" I went to get up, but Ryan grabbed my arm. He shook his head.

"All little children are going to burn." She said, cutting her steak.

"Whoa, whoa." Percy said coming closer, putting his hand up.

"Excuse me, Gladys-"

"Shut up, you stupid bitch, all you do is complain, complain, complain." Gladys shouted, her voice sounding like she was yelling through a microphone.

"What?" Howard turned around. I could see the teenager holding back a laugh.

"What did you just say?" Howard stood up. "I don't know who you think you are, but I want you to apologize-" He was cut off when Gladys jumped up and bit his neck, ripping a piece out.

"Howard!" Sandra shouted. Gladys spit the piece out, it flying to my feet.

She threw the table out of her way, flipping it completely over.

"You're all going to die!" She shouted, blood dripping down her chin. Ryan was still holding my arm.

Percy threw a frying pan, hitting her in the side of the head. She stood up straight, her eyes landing on me. I stood up from my seat, shaking with fear. She turned and lunged at the windows, crawling on to the ceiling. Bob grabbed a shot gun and Ryan ran around the bar to me, pulling me down beside him. Bob began shooting the ceiling, trying to hit Gladys. Ryan covered my body with his. She dropped behind Bob.

"Bob, watch out!" I yelled, but I was too late. Gladys back handed him, sending him flying across the diner, the shotgun flying out of his hand. It landed by the door.

"Stay here." Ryan said before bolting over to the shotgun. He grabbed it and pointed it straight at Gladys.

"Shoot her Ryan!" Percy shouted. I could hear siren's outside.

Gladys chuckled. "You will never save her." Ryan faltered for a moment.

"Shoot her!" Percy shouted. Ryan closed his eyes, finger over the trigger.

Gladys gave a demonic scream and charged towards Ryan, her feet sliding across the floor. A scream was lodged in my throat. Three gunshots rang out and Gladys fell at Ryan's feet. I looked up and saw Kyle, gun pointed out, the end smoking from the bullets. The siren's were getting closer. The only sound in the diner was Howard choking. Sandra ran over to him and touched his neck, her hands coming back covered in blood.

"Somebody help me!" She shouted, Kyle ran over to them.

"Put pressure on it! Don't look at me like that." A couple police men and EMT's came through the door. Charlie leaned down in front of me. I had curled myself in a ball during the last few moments.

Charlie took my hands in hers and pulled me to my feet. I was a couple inches shorter than her. I saw my dad enter the diner over Charlie's shoulder. I let go of Charlie's hands and ran over to him. He wrapped his arms around me, but strangely, I didn't feel at home.


	5. Chapter 5

**IMPORTANT: You should read this:**

Me Angrily Scolding All Those Who Disrespect Their Parents

So four years ago, my life was fine. I had a mom and a dad who both loved me very much, but I took that for granted. On December 2009, my mom was diagnosed with cancer and for two months I had no idea whether she would still be alive when I woke up the next morning or not. She lived for two years and I took advantage of that. She died two years ago, and I realize now that my dad has been remarried for almost two years now, that I took advantage of the fact I had two years with her. I was disrespectful and I wanted the spotlight on me as it had been before all of that happened. I thought everything would be okay and my mom would get to see me graduate. But now I'm almost 7 months from graduating high school and my mom won't be there to see that. Or watch me get married, or meet her grandchildren. I can't even call her every weekend to talk to her. She's gone.

So everyone who takes advantage of their parents, who hates their guts, just be happy you can talk to them. Don't take advantage of the fact they're there, because they might not be. That can all change in an instant. You'll realize one day what your parents mean to you. It's true you don't really know what you have until it's gone. So the next time you talk back to your mother or take advantage of your dad to get what you want, stop and think about what life would be like if they weren't there, because you are truly lucky to have your parents. You don't realize it now, but one day you'll understand what I'm saying. Hug your mom and tell her how much you love her because the day will come when you won't be able to do that anymore.


End file.
